Having been with Jon since she was 4-month-old, the now-11-year-old pup was as much of a family member as any human, but the fast-approaching storm terrified Maggie and she simply refused to leave her kennel.

After the twister had passed and Jon became aware of the magnitude of its destruction, he immediately assumed the worst.

But, as it so happened, the dog was still very much alive, and some 30 hours later, while sifting through the remains of the residence, friends heard a "faint bark" and pulled away a piece of carpeting to reveal a buried-but-alive Maggie.

"I felt intense relief and elation," said Jon, who was also in a panic over Maggie's injuries.